


I'll keep you safe

by soul_wanderer



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV), Red Beauty - Fandom
Genre: Angst, F/F, Hurt/Comfort, Mates, Mentions of Violence, Nightmares, Red Beauty - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-27
Updated: 2014-08-27
Packaged: 2018-02-14 23:20:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 869
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2206839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/soul_wanderer/pseuds/soul_wanderer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Ruby wakes up in the middle of the night it's to find Belle trapped in a nightmare and while the wolf in her wants nothing more to protect her, her human form tries everything to get her open up and tell her what exactly happened in the past that now follows her into her dreams night after night. Established Red Beauty, set after the curse is broken</p>
            </blockquote>





	I'll keep you safe

**Author's Note:**

> I had the idea to this one-shot when I was thinking about how we never really got to see Belle deal with the aftermaths of her being held captive by Regina which kind of bothered me and that's how I ended up writing my own take on this subject - reviews are very much welcome!

The wolf in her knew something was wrong before her human form registered the pained moans that were coming from the person lying next to her.  
Her instincts had her tossing and turning for a while and when she woke up she was greeted with a heartbreaking picture.  
Belle was curled up next to her and her hands were gripping the sheets tightly until her knuckles turned white while tears steadily streamed down her cheeks.  
Knowing she would startle her if she touched her now Ruby tamed the wolf in her that wanted nothing more than to protect Belle and quietly spoke up.

“Belle, hey Belle, it’s ok, you are safe.” She tried to soothe her girlfriend, hoping she would get through to her. She knew about the nightmares that plagued her ever since she was held captive by Regina and it pained Ruby to see her struggle especially because Belle hardly opened up to her whenever she mentioned the time before the curse was broken.  
When her sleeping form started trembling even harder Ruby couldn’t hold herself back any longer and shuffled closer to Belle to pull her into her arms. 

At first the smaller brunette shook with fear upon feeling Ruby’s arms around her but when her eyes shot up in terror she slowly began to register where she was and who was holding her.  
“It’s only me; everything is going to be ok. I’m here for you.” Ruby once again tried to calm her down and when Belle finally started to relax in her embrace she could hear tiny sobs escaping her lips that grew heavier with every passing minute.  
Clutching onto her girlfriends top Belle buried her face in the crook of her neck while pictures of her previous nightmare flashed by, effectively making her shake even harder.

“Talk to me Belle, please. I just want to help you.” Ruby’s voice took on a desperate tone and she ran her hand up and down her back hoping Belle would tell her what was wrong.  
“I- I can’t.” Belle eventually brought out between her abating sobs and it made Ruby wonder just how bad her nightmare must’ve been.  
“Please.” This time Ruby merely whispered the single word and her voice sounded tear-stricken as she did so.  
“It felt so real, it just…” Belle almost inaudibly replied after a long moment and Ruby couldn’t help but pull her even closer into her chest when she noticed the fear cursing through her mate’s body.  
Holding back the urge to ask Ruby simply waited until Belle was ready to continue telling her about her nightmare and gently ran her fingers through her soft curls.

“She choked me, I could…I could feel her hands on my throat…I thought it was finally over…” She trailed off as fresh, hot tears began to make their way down her cheeks again and curled further into Ruby’s chest, needing to feel the wolf’s warmth to feel safe again.  
She didn’t even need to say who she was talking about, the wolf in Ruby let out a low growl at the thought of what Regina had put her through and she had to keep herself from running off to make her pay for what she had done to her mate.

“It is over now Belle. She can’t hurt you anymore; I will always be here to protect you.” She quietly reassured her and pressed a kiss onto the side of her forehead, her canines threatening to grow at the thought of Regina ever coming near Belle again.  
After a long while Belle whispered something and if it weren’t for her wolf senses it would probably have been lost to her ears.

“Don’t hurt her Ruby, please.” There it was again, Belle’s unbroken faith in the goodness of others. Ruby let out an almost inaudible growl. Regina didn’t deserve Belle’s kindness. She didn’t deserve any of this the wolf in Ruby thought. But Ruby, in her very much human form, knew she would never want to change this about her. She never wanted anything, or anyone, to ever harden her more than the past already had. Because despite everything she had been through her soul was still pure and her heart gentle and she was certain her smile could end battles and she never wanted her to lose this kind of purity.  
That’s why, when she heard the words coming over Belle’s lips, she couldn’t do anything but make the promise to not harm Regina. 

She wasn’t even sure if it was the wolf in her that made her comply so easily at its mate’s request or if it was simply her who couldn’t turn down her girlfriend's wish but in the end it didn’t matter, she would do anything to make her feel better. And when she pressed her lips against Belle’s temple and she found her relaxing in her arms, their legs entangled and her body keeping her warm she knew she had made the right decision to let go of it and she was grateful that Belle would always be by her side to remind her that sometimes revenge wasn’t the right choice when it came to matters of the heart.


End file.
